Art of developing and utilizing fluid-pressure.



jNo. 746,318. .EATENTED DEG. 8, 1903.

J. (LEEALEY. ART 0E DEVELOPING AND UTILIZING FLUID PRESSURE.

APPLICATION ILED JAN. 31,1903.

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INVENTOR INNNNBN PATENTED DBG. 8.1903. J. C. FRALEY. ART 0F DEVELOPING AND UTILIZING FLUID PRESSURE.

APPLICATION lILED JAN. 31,1903.

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PATENTED DEG. 8.1903.

J.0.`ERALEY,. 1 ART 0E DEVELOPING AND UTILIZING ELDID PRESSURE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.v 31, 1903.`

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UNI-*TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Patented December 8, 1903.

JOSEPH OIFRALEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

` SPECIFICATION forming perf ef Letters Patent Ne. 746,318, dated December s, 1903. Application tiled January 31, 1903. Serial No. 141.252. {No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern: i Y

Be it known that I, JOSEPH O. FRALEY, a

I citizen of the United States, residing at No.

1833l Pine street, in the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art ofDeveloping and Utilizing Fluid-Pressure, whereof thefollowing is a speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Apparatus of the character conveniently employed in the method herein set forth and columns.

claimed forms the subject-matter of my application, Serial No. 175,761, tiled October 5, 1903, for Letters Patent of the United States for improvements in apparatus for developing and utilizing fluid-pressure. It may alsobe noted that my application, Serial No. 141,251, led January 31, 1903, for Letters Patent of the United States for improvements in the art of developing and utilizing {luid-pressure,

which was allowed under date of May 13,- 1903, comprises claims for a method of developing pressure which, broadly speaking,

` involves similar conditions to those existing bined in series as to establish communication between'the base of each column and the top of the next in series by means of confined bodies of lighter fluid the pressure at the base of the ultimate columnv will be substantially equal to that which would exist at the base of asingle column whose height is representedby the sum of the heights of theindividual In said application, Serial No. 141,251, I have set forth and broadly claimed the method of thus developing cumulative pressure irrespective of the mode by which krespondingly large in quantity.

the columns of iuid are established. vEmploying this principle of the cumulative transmission-of pressure-in the caseof a waterfallof limited head, for instance- I have furtherdiscovered that the several columns of heavier duid (in this instance water) can be individu- `ally established to a height corresponding with the head or fall by the mere inflow of water into proper receptacles, that thereafter the columns can be so thrown into communication with each other as to transform the plurality of low pressures into a much higher .pressure at`the end of the series and that a portion ofthe fluid can be dischargedV under such high pressure to develop energy in any Thus a succession of impulses eachcorresponding to a relatively high pressure eX- hibited in a given discharge of fluid 4can be obtained, although the initial pressure of the luid be relatively small. The development of energy by thisv method is of course attended by a total expenditure of iuid which is cor-A cases, however, wherea water-power of large volume, but low head, is sought to be utilized the amount of. water expended is not economically important provided the requisite pressure can be conveniently attained, and itis under these conditions that I believe myinve'ntion will prove especially valuable.

In .the accompanying'drawings I have illustrated the application of the invention yby mea nsof an elementary or typical apparatus; but it must be understood that its scope is in no way limited lo such an embodiment.

In each of said drawings the apparatus is represented in similar vertical longitudinal section, Figure l showing certain controlling elements in what may be considered as the first operative position for the separate establishment of the individual columns. Fig. 2 shows said elements ina position which they may, if desired, occupy at an intermedi- In many ICO' ate stage of operation or where the pressure is undergoing cumulative transformation; and Fig. 3 shows said elements in the ultimate position corresponding to the operative discharge of that portion of the fluid which is subjected to the total cumulative pressure.

The apparatus consists of a continuous elongated conduit-as, for instance, iron piping-comprising a series of similar undulations, in this instance, three in number, (indicated at A, B, and C.) Commencing at the left-hand end of the figure the leg a (whose vertical height is slightly in excess of the height of the Waterfall) is continued at its lower extremity a short distance horizontally, as shown at a', and leads to the chamber D of a three-way valve d, which has a discharge-orifice 0l. From the said chamber D the piping con tinnes, preferably as shown, with a slight incline a2 to the region of the next undulation, Where it rises vertically, as shown at 0.3, and leads by' a return-bend at the top to the neXt vertical leg b. At a point between the leg a and the chamber D an inlet-pipe E is connected, said inlet-pipe 4being provided with a floating check-valve e so arranged in the valve-chamber e' as to permit the downflow of Water through the pipe E, but prevent any upward flow therein by closing against a seat at e2. A transverse pin or stop e3 prevents the check-valve e from closing the outlet at bottom of the chamber e. Above the check-valve e the pipe E com m nnicates at E with the source of Water-supplyas, for instance, a forebay, whose Wall is shown at K, the normal level of the water being indicated by the dotted line lo.

The undnlation at B is constructed and arranged in a manner exactly similar to that just described in the case of the nndulation at A, the correspondingparts being indicated by the small letters b with numerals like those employed in connection With the small letters a. It is also provided with a Water inlet pipe F, controlled by the check-valve fand connected at F with the source of supply in the foi-ebay K. A three-way Valve g, arranged in chamber G, is interposed in the same relative position as the valve d. The next undnlation at C has a vertical leg c, which terminates in a nozzle c', controlled by a simple discharge-valve h in the chamber H. The leg c is provided with an inlet-pipe I, controlled by a check-valve i' and connected at I with the source of Water-supply. The nozzle c' is represented in full lines as leading to an inclosure at J, which may he considered as conventionallyindicating any suitable motor device adapted to be actuated by water or air under pressure, or, as illust-rated by the dotted lines at J', the system may terminate in a mere jet.

As this application relates, broadly, to a method of developing pressure irrespective of particular mechanism, itis of course not limited by the nature of the devices for converting the energy of the discharge into mechanical movement, and I therefore have merely indicated the locality Where the energy is displayed without attempting to set forth further details.

Assuming that the Working parts are in the positions shown in Fig. l. and that no Water has yet entered, theaction is as follows: The water iiows down the three inlet-pipes E, F, and I and rises in the legs d, b, and c to the level of the dotted line 7c, but does not overow into the legs a3 or b3, as the return-bends at the top of the undulations are above the actual water-level. The three-way valves CZ and g are in a position to afford outlet from the pipe portions a2 and b2 to the atmosphere, so that the rise of water in the vertical legs (1,1), and c is not impeded by the compression of airin the adjacent portions of the conduit. When the legs are thus filled, the valve g may be turned, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to close the outlet g and establish communication between the leg b and the slightly-inclined pipe portion b2, whereupon the column of water in the leg b will momentarily fall by reason of the fact that a portion will liow through the valve g into the incline b2, compressing the air ahead of it, and thereby reducing somewhat the bulk of the confined body of air between the surface of the water at L in said incline and the top of the Water column in the leg c. This fall in the legb is, however, immediately compensated, because the checkvalvefwill open and permit the water to iiow in until it rises in the leg b tothe original level 7c. During this operation the Water in the leg c becomes subjected to the pressure of the column in the leg b, transmitted by means of the con lined body of air in the incline b2 and upright b3. The pressure at the discharge-va lve h is therefore substantially twice that, due to the natural head. The checkvalve t' prevents the water in the `leg c and pipe I from backing into the forebay under this increased pressure, and hence the full head is maintained in said leg c. The positions of the working parts in the leg b and the water-levels therein after this action has occurred are shown in Fig. 2, where it will be observed that the column in the leg dis still in its initial condition of establishment.

When the column in theleg bhas been thus finally established, the valve d is turned so as to connect the leg a, with the incline c2, whereupon a similar initial fall of the column in the leg c will occur, compressing the air in the incline a2 and upright a3; but the col-V IOO IIO

When i a series of water columns corresponding in number with the undulations, and the base of each column (excepting the ultimate one) will be connected to the top of the next by an interposed coniined body of air, so that the sum of the individual pressures of the several columns will be cumulatively transmitted to the ultimate column. If then the discharge-valve h be opened, 'as shown in Fig. 3, the water will be forced out at the nozzle c with a pressure which initially will be equal to the sum of the totalpressures thus cumulatively transformed, but which will of course fall in an increasing ratio as the several columns descend together'. It may therefore not be expedient to permit theentire discharge of the water from the leg c, but to arrest-it when the water has descended in the vertical legs a, b, and c and iiowed into the inclines a? and b2, attaining, for instance, the levels indicated at N, N', N2, n, and n', respectively, but notyet coming to a state of equilibrium. To recharge the system, the three valves d, g, and h are turned into the positions shown in Fig. 1, when the water will How out from the inclines a? and b2 through the outlets d and g and a new supply will i'low into the legs a, b, and c through the inlets E, F, and I until the three columns have been restablshed, when the series of operations just described may be repeated. Thus a succession of impulses, due to the operative discharge of a body of uid under the total available pressure,` can be obtained at the nozzle c' or other terminal of the series,and vit can readily be seen that-by the employment of several such systems discharging alternately at a common point the method lends itself to a practically continuous action. I have not, however, in this application laid any stress upon nordo I herein claim the particular apparatus by means of which the method may be applied, my purpose being simply to indicate the general character of the method itself by means of the very elementary apparatus shown and described. Furthermore, I would state that although I have described the operation as comprising, so to speak, an intermediate stage between the establishment of the several columns and their ultimate discharge and have represented the corresponding conditions in Fig. 2 such order of procedure is not in any way essential.4

Instead of successively turning the threeway valves g and d to permit the primary compression .of the air and the reestablishment of the columns after their momentary slight fall the entire set of valves g, d, and h may be simultaneously opened to the positions shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the cumulative action will occur as before; but the momentum of the several columns descending together to the full limit modifies the under some conditions this variation of detail in the operation may be considered preferable to the order, of operating the valves trs't described. It is apparent, -however,`that the identity'of the invention is in no way affected by such modilications of procedure as these or others which are-consistent with the underlying principle herein set forth.

In the drawings I have shown a structure providing for three columns; but obviously a series would comprehend the use of merely two such columns or any greater number which isconsistent with practical conditions.

In the type of apparatus above set forth vwater and air are the two iiuids employed,

andthe operative element is described as being a water-discharge.V I do not, however, limit my claims to the use of any particular kind of liuids provided they be of different specific gravity, nor do I mean to imply that, thedynamic result must be exhibited as a discharge ofthe heavier fluid, for itis-,obvious that the ultimate pressure may be exerted upon a confined body of air, for instance, and that an air-discharge under these conditions would be entirely within the principle v and scope of the invention.

I claiml. The method of developing and utilizing fluid-pressure which consists in separately establishing a plurality of fluid columns; connecting the same in series by interposed con-` fined bodies of lighter duid leading from the base of one column to the top of the next; and permitting the operative discharge of duid under the cumulative pressure thus attained. 2. The method of developing and utilizing fluid-pressure which consists of separately establishinga plurality of duid columns; connecting the same in series by interposed confined bodies of lighter fluid, leading from the A base of one column to the top of the next;`

permitting the operative discharge of fluid at the region of ultimate pressure, by the movement of the individual columns toward stable equilibrium; permitting the discharge of a portion of the fluid 'which is thus moved toward the position of stable equilibrium; and separately restablishing said columns; whereby a succession of operative discharges under relatively high pressure is obtained from a head of relatively low pressure.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, this 30th day of January, 1903, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH C. FRALEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. BELL, C. BRADFORD FRALEY.

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